Moti Mahal

Ugh, where to start. The chana masala was almost hard enough to break dental work, sauces were well below par, and the atmosphere was awkward. Lord, please guide me to a decent Indian joint in KC.

Awesome Indian food. I’m in the area on business and have had a hard time finding a good meal. The food here is great and I will be sure to return next time I’m back

This place feels the most traditional of the Indian cuisine I have tried in Kansas City. I actually enjoy carryout here the most.
Everything is wrapped extremely well so it stays warm no matter where you go. The tikka masala is well flavored, as are many of the other dishes I tend to pick up for carry out.
The locale is a pain to get into thanks to being in front of Zona Rosa and a terrible strip mall design. Ambiance is poor, the place is dark and relatively meager in terms of dining services.
Staff is friendly though. The dine-​in waitress was accommodating, at least.
The price is a tad bit expensive for what you get, but I believe the taste of the food justifies the price as the portion size seems to be standard among the local assortment of Indian cuisine.
If you want some Indian food to satisfy a tikka masala craving, this is the go-​to place in the north land.
Locale and ambience: 2
Friendliness: 3
Food: 5
Price: 3
Overall: 4

Stopped in for the lunch buffet during the week. Good selection of items. More spicy than some buffets, but I love that. Excellent naan, but I’ve had better pakora. Small mango lassi included with lunch buffet. My personal opinion is that this place is better than Swagat, but not as good as Seva. Pretty small with limited seating, but clean. Friendly staff.

My wife and I have been here a few times. Last night we were the only people in the place. Granted it was 7:30 on a Sunday, but this place should be busy all the time. We absolutely love the food here. The service is very prompt and friendly and the prices are cheaper than the other places in the area. if you enjoy Indian cuisine you’ll love this place too.

My favorite in Kansas city! We drive from Independence to eat here regularly. Lunch buffet is great with an equal amount of vegetarian and non-​vegetarian choices. Damn, now my mouth is watering.

I LOVE this cozy restaurant! The food is amazing and I always feel so welcome and taken care of.

Better priced and more tasty than Swagat. Plus you get a mango lassi!
I’m sold on Moti Mahal as the best Indian buffet up north. Tasty food and great service! The only negative might be the space isn’t super nice. But for a hole in the wall place in a strip-​mall, Moti Mahal is great.

Excellent lunch buffet. Lots of vegetarian options. Authentic, friendly staff and everything we had tasted great.
Highly, highly recommended if you like Indian food.

The buffet was only $ 10 and there were a lot of items to choose from. The food was really good and all seemed very fresh (not like it had been left sitting at the buffet for long). I will definitely go back!

What a wonderful experience I had at Moti Mahal! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked in, as the restaurant is small with not a lot of tables. We got there late, less than an hour before closing, with a party of five but we never felt rushed and the staff made sure we got everything that comes with the dinner, including the rice pudding and chai tea. In fact, we got up to leave and they brought us our chai in to go cups, complete with lids.
The food was so flavorful and we got more than enough, each of us getting to go boxes. I had a chicken dish that was awesome! The naan was fresh and tender. The rice pudding was the best I’ve had in KC and the chai tea was so delicious!
The pudding and the tea came with the meal.
I usually don’t write reviews but my sister encouraged me to because we had such a nice experience. I have nothing but good things to say about this place. We all loved it and each of us said that we will definitely be back!

Having just moved to the area, we decided to give Moti a try. The place was small, but clean and decorated well. The service was prompt. We started with chicken samosas, and they had great flavor. I ordered the chicken korma, which was good. Unlimited refills of their chai. The food was hot and fresh. The service was good and the staff was friendly. We definitely will be coming back.

Hidden in a strip mall just off of Barry Rd, we decided to try Moti Mahal. The interior is cozy (ie small) and intimate. We came on a Friday night, and for the ~1hr we were there, there were 2 other dine-​in couples and 2 carry outs.
Anyways, the service was efficient, with swift refills of water, taking our order, delivering papadum etc. We ordered the Mulligatawny soup, Chicken Saag (medium) and mint naan.
The Mulligatawny was very good, nicely spices ($ 3). The Chicken Saag ($ 13.95) was creamier than Swagats (my gold standard) but very nicely spiced and the heat level was perfect. The naan had tons of mint in it — A+ from me ($ 3.95). Overall, I enjoyed the food, but I still have to say Swagat wins in my opinion for the Saag and the ambience. BUT a total plus in favor of Moti — complimentary rice pudding and mango ice cream at the end of the meal. Yum!

Right now this is one of my top three places to eat. They changed locations but it was worth the move. They are the nicest family and the food is really special. I typically go during the buffet which is 11 – 2:30pm. I have trouble comparing it to Swagat but to me it is better food for a more reasonable price.
The area they could improve on is the atmosphere. I don’t like that you can’t see in the window. I want to see that something is going on before I enter. Swagat has the atmosphere for a date with outdoor seating and a plush inside. But if you just want to enjoy Indian cuisine, I would go to Moti Mahal before Swagat.
I also wish I better understood the dishes. For example I’d like to know what they are serving each day in the buffet. I have some favorites and would like to know if that specific dish will be in the Buffet.
Never ever had a problem with service. As they get to know you, they really listen to your feedback and try to show you new things about the food and the culture.
I would like to see more Indian restaurants have lectures possibly about their culture and the ingredients they use. I would give it 5 stars if they could add some educational aspect to the experience. I’d also like to see a taster platter for kids where kids can come in and taste a small sample of several items. Not so much to be a meal but to introduce the flavors to their palate for a small fee.

They moved but we managed to find them. The buffet is excellent and I would love to come back. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is quiet and easy going. Really, really, liked the quality of the food.

Beautiful Fish Saag and Goat do Piazza were our selections. We were not disappointed. The flavors of northern India are bold and yet seem balanced when done right. That seemed to be the case here. Neither of our dishes were swimming in butter, either… which seems to be a common problem at some other Indian restaurants.
Service was delightful and the atmosphere is fairly dull, but it is quiet and encourages one to be conversational. :-)

Great food! The chicken tikka masala is so delicious and creamy! There’s a lot of great classic dishes that are reasonably priced. The sauces are rich and full of flavor. The naan was soft and flavorful too. If you are looking for Indian food in the northland I would definitely come here.

Literally just got back from eating the lunch buffet there. Plenty of choices, vegetarian and meat options ahoy, plus a nice little section for salad and everything. Almost don’t even need that, gimme more curry.
Tasted great, the chicken tikka masala is right up there with some of the best I’ve had. Chicken curry was also plenty good. Don’t know what the one fried veggie thing was but really enjoyed that as well.
I usually hate chai and I also usually hate mango, but dang, their chai they have is pretty good and that mango smoothie that comes with the buffet is fantastic. I could drink jugs of that stuff. Seriously recommend, gonna become a regular here.

Moti, moved to its new location recently and I was pleased, as the first location was in a really bad spot. The décor is simple and functional, and exactly as the last location. There are 15 or so tables, and service was prompt, as they had my 2go order waiting as promised, I was pleased.
Indian food blends a complexity of flavors, great to enjoy with a cold one… tonight’s meal didn’t disappoint… scanned the menu, everything looked tempting, decided on chicken bhoona with rice, and and order of double garlic naan, keep the vampires away. Wow, got it spicy, dish was loaded with flavor and chicken, so if your looking for a hidden gem, give Moti a shot… I think you’ll enjoy…

I have loved Moti Mahal since they first opened in their prior location. This new location is brighter-​lit and better decorated, and filled with the same great food. It’s a fairly small restaurant, very intimate.
Indian food is one of my favorites, as I’m vegetarian, but it’s hard to find food of this quality. The $ 11 lunch buffet always has 8 – 12 entrée options, half vegetarian. I love all of them: very rich, flavorful, and fresh. They also serve chai, veggie pakoras, chicken samosas, fresh fruit, and several desserts on the daily buffet.
Beyond the amazing food, the service is great. They bring garlic naan and mango lassi to the table before you can ask, and stop by frequently for refills.
This is my favorite Indian restaurant in the city. It’s delicious food with great customer service and very reasonable prices.